Strip or sheet metal structure



A P. THURSTON.

STRIP 0R SHEET METAL STRUCTURE.

Patented July 4, 1922.

ALBERT PETER THURSTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

STRIP OR SHEET METAL STRUCTURE.

Application filed January 6, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PETER THURSTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, in the county of London England. have in vented new and useful Improved Strip or Sheet Metal Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved strip or sheet metal structures of substantially I-girder form made from metal strip or sheet which. is corrugated longitudinally of the finished members in order to develope the full strength of the metal in compression, so that the thickness of the metal required for the loads to which the members are to be subjected is reduced to a minimum.

The object of the invention is to form such sheet or strip metal structures with closed tubular portions along the edges of each corner where the metal is most effective in resisting compressive stresses.

A further object of the invention is to form these tubular portions as closed tubes and so enable them to carry the maximum load without collapsing.

A still further object of the invention is to connect each closed tubular portion to each of the two adjoining closed tubular portions by one web and one flange, which web and flange are stifiened to withstand shear and longitudinal compression stresses by being bent about longitudinal axes so that the Webs and flanges of the structure in addition to connecting the closed tubular portions together may take a considerable proportion of the compressive stresses and so relieve the closed tubular portions of some of the stress. I

A still further object of the invention is to connect each closed tubular corner member to another closed tubular corner member by a closed tubular flange and to another closed tubular corner member by a corrugated Web which is connected midway to an oppositely corrugated Web similarly connecting corresponding closed tubular corner members to form the structure as a series of tubes so that in the case of local injury to the structure or a portion being shot away there will still remain suflicient metal left suitably shaped to resist stress and to enable the structure to sustain its load.

Members made according to this invention are consequently very suitable for use in the construction of aeroplanes and other air- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July at, 1922.

Serial No. 349,788.

craft, and the invention is chiefly intended for, but not limited to, the construction of aeroplane spars, struts and other parts.

lVith these and other objects hereinafter set forth the invention consists in the improved structure hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a structural member constructed according to my invention in which one tube on each flange is integrally formed with one web and an other tube on each flange is integrally formed with the other web.

Figure 2 shows a similar view of a modification in which the tubes on one flange are integrally formed with one web and the tubes on the other flange are integrally formed with the other web.

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional elevation of a structural member in which the tubular flanges are formed separately from the webs.

Figure 4c shows a similar view in which the corrugated member interconnecting the tubes on the flanges is formed separately therefrom.

Figure 5 shows a cross sectional elevation of a structural member having three tubular members arranged on each flange.

In Fig. 1, the member consists of two similar components 1 and 2 which are substantially L-shaped in cross section. Considering the cross section. the top and corner of each component are of tubular form as at 3 and 4: while the long arm or web of each L is corrugated in a sinuous curve, consisting of two ends 5 and 6, concave, and a centre 7, convex with respect to the interior of the L. The short arm or flange of each L is also corrugated in a sinuous curve with the centre 8, concave with respect to the interior of the L. The tubes 3 and 4 are somewhat elliptic, their major axes being at right angles to the long arm. The walls of the tubes join the body of the L in gentle curves as shown. Each of the components 1 and 2 of the member thus consists of two tubes integral with a corrugated connectingweb 1 or 2 and a corrugated flange, and may be formed by rolling or pressing a metal strip or sheet. The two components are placed side by side in inverse positions, so that the centres 7, meet at or near the centre line of the finished member shown sectionally in all figures, and the flange of one component L, as 1 touches a tube of the other component L, as 2. The two components 1 and 2 are then secured together where they touch at 9, by rivetin by veyeleting, or by spot or strip welding. The meeting walls of the tubes are also preferably secured together at 12, by riveting, by eyelcting, or by spot or strip welding.

In Fig. 2 the member is also built up of two L-shaped components 1 and 2; in this construction, both the tubes 3 and 4 of each component are integral with the flange instead of one tube being integral therewith, as in Fig. 1. In this construction, the tubes 3 and 4, being integral with the corrugated flange, are connected together thereby across the web.

In Fig. 3, corrugated flanges 13 and 14 formed at their edges with two tubes 3 and 4, are connected by a pair of corrugated webs 15 and 16.

In Fig. 4, the tubes 3 and 4, are formed on the webs 15 and 16 and are connected by corrugated'flanges 17 and 18.

In Fig. 5, each component has two corrugated flanged strips 19 and 20, so as to be substantially of channel, instead of: L-

- cross section, and one flange of each strip is convex, as at 21, while the other is con cave as at 22 with regard to the interior of the channel. The flanges of the finished.

member, thus comprise each three tubular parts.

In the several structural embodiments illustrated, it will be noted that eachcompleted structure is composed of an even number of parts, either two or four. In the two-part structures, the parts are duplicates, one being reversed for their assembly and the two interfltted. In the founpart structures, each has two pairs of like parts. Thus in the group represented by Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the two complementary elements of the structure are identical and are adopted to interfit when one is reversed relatively to the other and assembled as shown. In Figs. 3 and .4, the top and bottom members are identical and the side members are identical. This duplication aflords interchangeability and simplifies and standardizes the construction and assembly.

Although several embodiments otmy invention have been describedby. way 01'' e2;- ample I wish it to be clearly understood that various other modifications ,may be, made without departing from the spiritof tiny invention or the ambit of the claims.

I claim: r 1 A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially Lgirder section consisting of corrugated webs connected to corrugated flanges and hollow closed tubular portions connected and disposed along the edges of the flanges. 2. A strip or. sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder. section consisting oi two corrugated webs connected together, two corrugated flanges each connected to both webs and a hollow tubular portion at each corner of the structure connected to one web and one flange.

3. A strip or sheet metal structure of. substantially Lgirder' section consisting of corrugated webs connected to corrugated flanges and closed tubes connected and disposed along the edges of the flanges.

4. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder section consistingoi two corrugated webs connected together two corrugated flanges each connected to both webs and tubes at each corner of the structure connected to one web and one flange.

5. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder section consisting of two corrugated webs connected on the centre line of the finished structure, two con'ugatcd flanges'connected to both webs at opposite sides thereof and closed tubular members formed at each corner of the structure.

6. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially Lgirder section consisting of two corrugated webs connected together, two corrugated flanges each connected to both webs and elliptic tubularportions at each corner of the structure connected to one web-and rugated webs connected to corrugated flanges and rolled tubes connected to one web and one flange to form a plurality of thicknesses of metal at each joint. 1

9. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder section consisting of two corrugated webs connected together, two cerrugated flanges each connected to both webs, and substantially elliptic tubular portions connected tofone web and one flange toforin three thicknesses of metal at each corner of the structure. 1

10. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder section consisting of two.-

, longitudinally corrugated webs connected together and two 7 longitudinally corrugated flanges with closed tubes on their edges, said flanges being disposed on opposite edges of said webs and secured thereto.

11. A strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I-girder section consisting of two longitudinally corrugated webs connected together along lines'parallel with the axis of the structure two. longitudinally. corrugated flanges each connected to both webs, and

tubular members formed at each corner of the structure and each connected to one web and one flange.

12. A girder substantially of I section comprising two corrugated plates connei-ted together and having their corrugations oppositely directed; said plates forming a web, corrugated flanges connected to the upper and lower ends of the Web and closed tubular portions connected to the edges of the flanges.

13. As an article of manufacture a strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I- girder section having longitudinal extending closed hollow portions on the flanges and on the web members.

l i. As an article of manufacture a strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I- girder section having longitudinal extending closed hollow portions on the flanges thereof and interconnected by corrugated web members.

15. As an article of manufacture a strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I- girder section having longitudinal extending closed hollow portions of the flanges thereof and interconnected by corrugated Web members which are connected together at the centre to form longitudinal extending closed hollow portions on the web member.

16. As an article of manufacture a strip or sheet metal structure of substantially I- girder section having corrugated flanges connecting together longitudinal extending closed hollow portions of the flanges there of interconnected by web members cor rugated in a sinuous curve which are connected together at the center to form longitudinal extending closed hollow portions 011 each web member.

ALBERT PETER THURSTON. lVit-nesses:

C. J. H. M. KENNEDY, THOMAS EDWARD RoBER'rsoN. 

